


Blood and Ink

by Chess_Blackfyre



Series: The Secura Family [8]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alien Culture, Gen, Tattoos, Zabrak Culture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-07-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:08:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25635580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chess_Blackfyre/pseuds/Chess_Blackfyre
Summary: As Maris completes the final phase of her Res Selenoren, Eeth Koth meditates upon the culture and meaning inscribed upon a Zabrak’s face.
Relationships: CC-5052 | Bly & Maris Brood
Series: The Secura Family [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718575
Comments: 20
Kudos: 120
Collections: Open Source Soft Wars





	Blood and Ink

**Author's Note:**

> So. This is filled with my own personally head canons about some of the meanings of a Zabrak facial tattoos. Emphasis on the word HEADCANONS.

Eeth settled himself down into the far corner. In the center of room, Maris mirrors him, straightens her spine, and nods. The old zebrak nods back and hands her a small jar and brushes of various sizes. Nearby, the various needles and inks are laid out in preparation. The final stage of the Res Selenoren had begun.

They had found her in the wilderness, about one-hundred kilometers from where she had been dropped off. Beyond the impressive distance, Maris had managed to find a grove of cacti as a water source and constructed a makeshift waterskin from the bladder of a predator she had killed and eaten. Her forearms were peppered with small claw and bite marks, the scars feint against her pale, chalky skin. What a tough, clever girl Secura was training.

Traditionally the tattooing process was something witnessed by one’s parents, or the clan head. As Maris had been raised by the Temple, Eeth Koth had stepped up to fill that role for her. After washing a whole month’s worth of sand, grime, and other awful off of herself—not to mention a good night of sleep—he escorted her to the small, secluded room at the edge of the wilderness where she would receive her tattoos.

The Res Selenoren was one of their most ancient and significant traditions. It was a time for the young to prove themselves as adults, to be capable and dependable of providing and protecting themselves, and therefore their clan. The tattoos were a part of that meant to signify clan, bloodlines, professions, and accomplishments. Their cultural significance had not faded, but there were many who chose the designs based on personal preferences rather than the ancient markings of their ancestors. But even with those, the placement still had meaning. The time in isolation was also for meant for contemplation, to meditate upon what was truly important to someone.

With his own markings, Eeth had wanted to display the values of the Jedi Order. A vertical line split his face in half, for wisdom. By the lines on the flash of his cheeks he marked himself as a diplomat. (Many jokingly called them his premature wrinkles; Kit Fisto once asked if he had gotten them to try and make himself look older.)

Agen Kolar had gone a different direction with his own tattoos. He was from an area of Iridonia that used purposeful scars, rather than ink. That, in combination with where he placed them, proclaimed himself to be a fierce and mighty warrior. While receiving those markings at adolescence, he did grow into one of the Order’s most accomplished duelists.

It would be interesting to see what Maris chose for her designs. He, like many Masters, were concerned about how this war would affect the next generation of Jedi. Seeing what markings Maris decided to receive could give him a bit of insight, if only into his fellow zabrak.

With a gentle brush, she looked into the mirror and painted what she wanted upon her skin. The ‘paint’ was from a concoction almost as old as Iridonian society, and would act as both a template and a salve, helping the tattoos heal much more quickly.

One line running underneath her chin—a common symbol of maturity. Two matching, jagged lines to frame her front horn, resembling lightning bolts. In Zabraki, the phrase “horns that will never break” was a common idiom for dependability. Lightning bolts meant nothing in particular as far as he could recall, and was likely little more than an aesthetic choice. She placed them again on her cheekbones. Like Kolar, she marked herself a warrior, a defender of the clan.

Then she started painting her right shoulder the Master squinting as he tried to remember the meanings of the geometric designs. A flash of the holo of her riding a rancor into battle and cuddling with the ship’s loth-cat. A beast handler, yes of course. Still, he cleared his throat before she tried to continue the markings below her elbow into a full sleeve. Acting as clan head, he did technically have the right to veto certain designs, but hoped that a simple reminder would suffice.

The young padawan made a face, but did not move to continue the designs further. Cultural diversity was all well and good, but unfortunately the Jedi also needed to be cognizant of the image they presented to the galaxy in their roles as peacekeepers and diplomats.

Doing a final once over with the mirror, Maris set the brushes down and nodded to the artist. It was time to begin.

Maris did not flinch as the needle pierced her skin over and over again or even adjust her breathing. To anyone but a Jedi, she seemed to be in a state of meditation. Eeth Koth pressed a small wave of approval against her consciousness, and hers nudged back in thanks.

When they returned to the Intrepid, Secura was the first to compliment her padawan’s new tattoos, but he didn’t miss the wave of affection from her second in command. He noticed the square, yellow tattoos on the Commander’s cheeks and curiously pondered if they had a meaning as well.

* * *

Maris and Apricot the loth-cat, art by me

**Author's Note:**

> The idea that Koth's tattoos mean "Wise Sage Diplomat" while Kolar's translate to "I'm gonna mess you up buddy" was one that made me chuckle. So I kept it.
> 
> Obviously the Darthomiran tattoos—like Ventress, Maul, Feral and Savage—can and probably do have different meanings from the Iridonian counterparts. (For example, I headcanon the two lines around Ventress' mouth to symbolize streams of blood, marking herself as a warrior-huntress)
> 
> I actually based Maris’ tattoos off the ones she had in her concept art. She had a lot more there then she did in the Force Unleashed. Also thank you so much to Firecat for the idea that Maris had to be gently reminded not to get MORE tattoos (look if you've seen the fanart of Bly's extensive gold tats you know she just wants to be like her dad)


End file.
